A new art exhibition at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina is turning the devastation of last year's Wolf wildfire into a powerful visual narrative. Titled "Transformed by Fire," the display features recovered items from a home destroyed in the blaze, now serving as artifacts of loss and transformation.
A Personal Journey of Loss and Recovery
Greg East and Jan Modler lost their cherished home at Birch Lake near Denare Beach when the Wolf fire swept through the area last May. Among the ruins, their daughter Jenny discovered two small Inuit statues, scuffed with burn marks, which are now central pieces of the exhibition. The couple, who built their home over 50 years, describe the collection as a metaphor for resilience and change.
Artifacts of Destruction and Transformation
The exhibition includes a heart-shaped paving stone cracked down the middle, melted glass and metal twists, and ceramics transformed by the intense heat. Each piece tells a story of the fire's impact, not only on objects but on the community of Denare Beach, Creighton, and Flin Flon. "For me, it's about resilience," Modler explains. "How you can get through tough things. It's not easy, but you can do it."
- Statues recovered from the kitchen sideboard
- Melted glass and metal fragments
- Warped ceramics and scorched mementoes
Community Transformation
A year after the evacuation and destruction, Modler notes the area is forever changed. "People have left the community, chosen to move or chosen to build or buy at a different lake," she says. The exhibition aims to make the reality of wildfire tangible for those who haven't experienced it, showing the incredible destruction and the slow path to recovery.
The show is on display at Cumberland Gallery in the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, offering a poignant reminder of nature's power and human resilience.
